BRADFORD Salem head coach Bob Hood admits his maiden season in charge has gone better than he could have expected.
But there is no time for the Shay Laners to rest on their laurels, as they head to neighbours and rivals Keighley for a titanic top of the table clash in Counties One Yorkshire this weekend.
Saturday’s hosts lead the way at the summit, but are only two points ahead of Salem with five games to go, and only the champions are guaranteed promotion.
Hood told the T&A: “We didn’t think this game was going to be that important at the start of the season, especially with this being my first season in charge.
“But the squad have worked really hard to get into this position and they know it’s not a title decider on Saturday.
“We just want to continue our long unbeaten run but we know how good Keighley are at home, having not lost there since 2019.”
But that latter fact does not bother Hood, who added: “We won against Keighley at Shay Lane in November, so we know we’re capable of beating them.
“Both sides are much improved since then and I know this is a cliche, but Saturday is ultimately going to come down to whoever plays best on the day.”
Keighley’s head coach is Dan McGee, who, years ago, played in a Yorkshire Under-20s side coached by Hood that achieved cup glory at Twickenham.
McGee spoke fondly of Hood when he chatted to the Keighley News about this game earlier in the week, and the latter has returned the favour.
He said: “Dan’s great, he’s a lovely chap, and it’s a pleasure to have been a part of his career.
“Who would have known it would come to this all these years later, this massive derby and the pair of us battling it out for a title?
“I’ve had a long career in the game as a player and coach, and a big part of that, especially the latter, is about developing lads.
“You’re obviously developing them to become better players, but you’re also trying to develop them as people.
“If you’re asking me if ever thought Dan would make a good coach all those years ago, it’s not something you think about constantly with your players.
“But I think a lot of being a good coach comes down to how you are with people.
“Coaching is powerful, and I think you need a lot of good, human qualities to be successful.”
Hood clearly brings that to the table, given he has transformed a Salem side who finished in the middle of the pack last season into title contenders.
He said: “When I came into the club, what was needed was more structure and organisation.
“The players have bought into that and slowly but surely they’ve turned processes into exciting rugby with good patterns and structures.
“I’m pleasantly surprised about where we are, given we lost our first two home games.
“We’re slowly growing in confidence and I think we’re only at 70 per cent of our true potential.”
Hood will be on the touchline on Saturday, after an unusual few days where he has been able to promote this Bradford District derby in an unlikely location.
He said: “I’m about to fly back from Amsterdam, where I’ve been working with coaches from the Dutch national side.
“I’ve been telling them all about this weekend’s game and even they’re quite excited by it.
“We’ve gone global with this derby if you like and it’s absolutely great to have two Bradford District sides as the cream of the crop so far in this division.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here